Minnesota breweries are all in with the legalization of THC
This story was originally published in the August 18, 2023 edition of the Tulip and Schooner newsletter, supported by Heavy Table’s Substack and Patreon subscribers. It won second place in the 2024 North American Guild of Beer Writers awards in the “Best Local Reporting” category.
Earlier this year, Minnesota made headlines nationwide with a sweeping bill signed into law making recreational cannabis legal in the state. The Heavy Table took this opportunity to talk with two businesses in the Twin Cities area operating in the THC space. The Dabbler Depot, a local joint with beer, coffee, doughnuts, edibles, and cannabinoid drinks available; and Wooden Ship Brewing Company, producing a THC seltzer named Abyss.
With THC beverages and edibles derived from Delta-9 legal in Minnesota for the past year, the state has developed a different path than others to legalizing recreational cannabis. Other states legalized hemp-derived products in one sweep, but with gradual legalization, how have Minnesota’s resident enjoyers developed a unique culture here?
The Dabbler Depot, long known for its Beer Dabbler events as well as its selection of craft beers and connections with Minnesota breweries, has developed the same reputation in the THC space.
The Dabbler Depot boasts three locations across the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area, with more than 100 options for THC beverages, and more than 100 options for THC edibles, as well as beer, coffee, and doughnuts. “We want to be good neighbors,” says Lance Asher, the Director of Business Development and Partnerships for The Dabbler Depot.
“If somebody doesn’t drink, what does a liquor store do for them? So we said let’s do coffee. Well if they don’t like coffee, they’ll like tea. If they don’t like tea, they’ll like doughnuts. Oh, well here’s this THC thing now, which is just fantastic,” says Asher.
Asher and The Dabbler Depot were on the front lines last year when THC seltzers and edibles began to appear once they became legal. Established relationships with breweries, now creating THC products, helped to get new seltzer options on Dabbler Depot shelves as soon as possible.
Asher and the staff at Dabbler Depot are committed to making the THC experience something that is accessible for all, even those who may have a negative stereotype in their heads surrounding cannabis and cannabinoids. “We have never shied away from the hard work it takes for things to look nice, in order for them to be as right as we can make them,” says Asher.
THC… For Health?
One of the ways that Asher sees room for improvement in the new bill is the limitation of different cannabinoids beyond THC. Dabler Depot is committed to a low-dose, health-oriented approach to the cannabinoid market, in addition to the new hemp-derived products that will be available. “Not everyone is looking to get high,” says Asher.
In fact, limitations on cannabinoids like CBN, a substance that often helps with sleep, were a sticking point in the bill. Asher said that limiting these helpful cannabinoids, and not treating hemp as the holistic, whole-spectrum plant that it is, limits some access to beneficial cannabis products. “The number one thing people are coming in for is sleep,” he says.
Meanwhile, Wooden Ship Brewing Company has been producing THC seltzers across town called “Abyss” which come in a variety of flavors and strengths. They are looking forward to how the new law will broaden not only the availability of THC/hemp-derived products but the equity around them.
“It’s incredible how we went from dead last to passing a pretty generous bill,” says Suresh Graf (they/them), co-founder of Wooden Ship Brewing Company. “We’re going to see Minnesota come to the forefront, especially in the beverage space, of THC in the country.”
Wooden Ship Brewing Company has used the time between bills to experiment with flavor combinations, THC concentration strengths, and mixing formulas. Abyss has nine flavors ranging from lemon-lime to watermelon-basil, and a range of strength from 5mg to 50mg+.
Wooden Ship Brewing Company also has extensive documentation on its website about exactly what is in its seltzers, breaking down each concentration of cannabinoid. Graf observed that they are seeing more suburban moms as customers and wants to make sure that the experience is open to everyone, and leaves them with a positive memory. “What we say is in the can, is actually in the can,” says Graf. “Everyone in the craft beer industry is like that. We want to represent ourselves well and we want our customers to have a good experience.”
Wooden Ship Brewing Company was especially pleased with the crime-expunging section of the latest bill. Wooden Ship is a social-justice-oriented brewing operation and did not want to enter the THC space where many were incarcerated for drug-related charges without equity and justice for those individuals. They are also excited to de-stigmatize THC beverages, and hopefully create a more inclusive brewery and taproom scene. “It’s going to be more inclusive, and bring everyone back to the table. But there is still work to be done.”
Both Graf and Asher expressed excitement at the new era that THC and hemp-derived beverages will bring to Minnesota. This creates a space that isn’t solely focused on relaxation through alcoholic beverages.
Both Wooden Ship Brewing Company and Dabbler Depot are focused on educating the public, and removing the stigma behind cannabis as it becomes more widely available.
“There is nothing that is more important to our team than making sure that the guest that’s in front of us is going to enjoy the experience they are having right now, and how we can best guide their experience when they are not in our care,” says Asher. He has personally sampled or tried all of the 100 available options of beverages and 100 options of edibles and wants to make sure each customer that visits the Dabler Depot knows what they are getting, and maximizes their experience. “I think that’s what sets us apart, that we are dialing in what that person is looking to do.”
Both the Dabler Depot and Wooden Ship Brewing Company want to maintain the high-quality level of service and products they have been providing across both THC and Beer and are excited about the new opportunities this bill opens in the future. “As the landscape changes, we want to change with it and continue to make a quality product, whether that be beer or TCH beverages,” says Graf.
You can find the Dabbler Depot at one of their 3 locations in person, or visit them online at www.dabblerdepot.com. Wooden Ship Brewing Company’s Abyss drinks are available at local shops and for purchase in their taproom. Find out more at their website www.woodenshipbrewing.com.